A large number of French people live in Morocco and Tunisia. To give a few figures: according to the French Foreign Ministry, their number had increased by over 3% in Morocco at the end of 2016, compared to the previous year; there are now nearly 53,000 of them, based mainly in Casablanca. Tunisia has nearly 22,500, 2% more than in 2015 and, no surprise, most of these French people live in Tunis. The two countries rank 9th and 16th respectively in the list of countries hosting the most French residents. They offer a number of advantages that the French appreciate, as we can see from the following testimony concerning Morocco:

Julien DAVID
I think that the years I’ve spent in Casablanca have been among the best in terms of quality of life for someone who comes from the Paris region, in the sense that the city has an absolutely wonderful climate and a very pleasant environment for the family, with the possibility of having a small house with a garden where the children can let off steam at a relatively low cost. So, I’d say that there’s a very, very good quality of life.
Tunisia isn’t far behind…although it has one small disadvantage that should be mentioned…

Nicolas Jean
The quality of life is good in Tunisia for a French manager or entrepreneur whose business is going well. You live in a similar way to the South of France; the locals - the Tunisians – are very open and it’s easy to make contact. However, since the crisis in 2011, security issues that didn’t exist before must now be considered.
Concerning security, some experts appear to be reassuring, as we can see from the following testimony:

Kevin Rivaton
The Maghreb has become a major target for investors, especially Morocco, and Tunisia will soon be back. I saw recently that tourism in Tunisia had much lower growth rates than a few years ago before the Arab Spring, but the Maghreb today is a sub-region in which it may be said that the risk is limited overall; so, you can invest in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, you can move around, you can find expatriates without too much difficulty. Now, if you enter Algeria by the desert road and come across armed gangs, it’s going to become more difficult. For example, the Moroccan security zone is very small, there are no great problems for our expatriates and investors in Morocco.
The French people who move there are pleasantly surprised by the cost of living in Tunisia, where prices have fallen further since 2011 and are, in certain cases, 4 times lower than the cost of living in France, and in Morocco.

Philippe Confais
The cost of living is generally low: you can eat cheaply, but on the other hand, property is rather expensive in a city like Casablanca. Prices are quite high in Casablanca, but they’re more reasonable in other cities in the kingdom. But apart from property, I’d say that the cost of living is very affordable.
The picture that’s been painted so far looks idyllic, but certain difficulties need to be considered, particularly when you arrive. You’ll be asked first of all to provide proof of your local place of residence to obtain a residence permit. In Tunisia, you’ll need to go to your local police station to obtain it. It will be valid for 1 year and renewable. While you’re waiting for it, you’ll be issued a temporary permit which will allow you to open a phone line with Tunisia Telecom, for example. In Morocco, you have to apply for a registration card from the “National Security” or “Royal Gendarmerie” offices nearest your home and pay a fixed fee of 100 Dhs for each year of validity. Once you have proof of residence in Morocco for at least three years, you can apply for a residence permit that’s valid for ten years. Without these precious permits, all other formalities will be difficult, such as opening a local bank account in Morocco or Tunisia.
As the subject of residence has just been mentioned, here are a few tips to help you become a tenant in the two countries. Firstly, in Morocco, once you’ve signed the lease and paid a 2 or 3-month security deposit, you must go with the owner or estate agent to the legalisation department, taking proof of identity with you (passport or residence permit for the tenant) …Good news, because you can rent a property, even if you haven’t yet received your residence permit, by simply showing your passport. In Tunisia, you must also have your lease registered at the “Recette des Finances” for validation, and it will cost you an amount based on the value of your rent. So, which districts should you choose, particularly in Casablanca…?

Julien David
I think there are actually 4 main districts in which you find most of the foreign community, and they offer 4 different levels of facilities. The Anfa district is where you’ll find the biggest houses accommodating the bosses of multinationals established in Morocco. There are then 2 districts of mixed residential houses in which you’ll find communities of international expatriate and Moroccan citizens, with smaller houses and gardens, and then there’s another district, the Gauthier district, which is made up more of apartment blocks where you’ll find good-quality apartments that are larger than what you’d find in Europe.
If you have to live in Tunis, Marsa, in the northern suburbs of Tunis, is a very pleasant, sought-after district by the sea.
In conclusion, Morocco and Tunisia, both reputed for their tradition of welcoming foreigners, offer plenty of attractions in terms of the quality of life and the cost of living. If you want to find out more about how to buy a property, the tax system, health and schools in the two countries, tune into our next programme, coming up soon.

Video content: A large number of French people live in Morocco and Tunisia. To give a few figures: according to the French Foreign Ministry, their number had increased by over 3% in Morocco at the end of 2016, compared to the previous year; there are now nearly 53,000 of them, based mainly in Casablanca. Tunisia has nearly 22,500, 2% more than in 2015 and, no surprise, most of these French people live in Tunis. The two countries rank 9th and 16th respectively in the list of countries hosting the most French residents. They offer a number of advantages that the French appreciate, as we can see from the following testimony concerning Morocco:

Julien DAVID I think that the years I’ve spent in Casablanca have been among the best in terms of quality of life for someone who comes from the Paris region, in the sense that the city has an absolutely wonderful climate and a very pleasant environment for the family, with the possibility of having a small house with a garden where the children can let off steam at a relatively low cost. So, I’d say that there’s a very, very good quality of life. Tunisia isn’t far behind…although it has one small disadvantage that should be mentioned…

Nicolas JeanThe quality of life is good in Tunisia for a French manager or entrepreneur whose business is going well. You live in a similar way to the South of France; the locals - the Tunisians – are very open and it’s easy to make contact. However, since the crisis in 2011, security issues that didn’t exist before must now be considered. Concerning security, some experts appear to be reassuring, as we can see from the following testimony:

Kevin RivatonThe Maghreb has become a major target for investors, especially Morocco, and Tunisia will soon be back. I saw recently that tourism in Tunisia had much lower growth rates than a few years ago before the Arab Spring, but the Maghreb today is a sub-region in which it may be said that the risk is limited overall; so, you can invest in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, you can move around, you can find expatriates without too much difficulty. Now, if you enter Algeria by the desert road and come across armed gangs, it’s going to become more difficult. For example, the Moroccan security zone is very small, there are no great problems for our expatriates and investors in Morocco. The French people who move there are pleasantly surprised by the cost of living in Tunisia, where prices have fallen further since 2011 and are, in certain cases, 4 times lower than the cost of living in France, and in Morocco.

Philippe ConfaisThe cost of living is generally low: you can eat cheaply, but on the other hand, property is rather expensive in a city like Casablanca. Prices are quite high in Casablanca, but they’re more reasonable in other cities in the kingdom. But apart from property, I’d say that the cost of living is very affordable.The picture that’s been painted so far looks idyllic, but certain difficulties need to be considered, particularly when you arrive. You’ll be asked first of all to provide proof of your local place of residence to obtain a residence permit. In Tunisia, you’ll need to go to your local police station to obtain it. It will be valid for 1 year and renewable. While you’re waiting for it, you’ll be issued a temporary permit which will allow you to open a phone line with Tunisia Telecom, for example. In Morocco, you have to apply for a registration card from the “National Security” or “Royal Gendarmerie” offices nearest your home and pay a fixed fee of 100 Dhs for each year of validity. Once you have proof of residence in Morocco for at least three years, you can apply for a residence permit that’s valid for ten years. Without these precious permits, all other formalities will be difficult, such as opening a local bank account in Morocco or Tunisia.As the subject of residence has just been mentioned, here are a few tips to help you become a tenant in the two countries. Firstly, in Morocco, once you’ve signed the lease and paid a 2 or 3-month security deposit, you must go with the owner or estate agent to the legalisation department, taking proof of identity with you (passport or residence permit for the tenant) …Good news, because you can rent a property, even if you haven’t yet received your residence permit, by simply showing your passport. In Tunisia, you must also have your lease registered at the “Recette des Finances” for validation, and it will cost you an amount based on the value of your rent. So, which districts should you choose, particularly in Casablanca…?

Julien DavidI think there are actually 4 main districts in which you find most of the foreign community, and they offer 4 different levels of facilities. The Anfa district is where you’ll find the biggest houses accommodating the bosses of multinationals established in Morocco. There are then 2 districts of mixed residential houses in which you’ll find communities of international expatriate and Moroccan citizens, with smaller houses and gardens, and then there’s another district, the Gauthier district, which is made up more of apartment blocks where you’ll find good-quality apartments that are larger than what you’d find in Europe. If you have to live in Tunis, Marsa, in the northern suburbs of Tunis, is a very pleasant, sought-after district by the sea. In conclusion, Morocco and Tunisia, both reputed for their tradition of welcoming foreigners, offer plenty of attractions in terms of the quality of life and the cost of living. If you want to find out more about how to buy a property, the tax system, health and schools in the two countries, tune into our next programme, coming up soon.